KENNESAW, Ga. – Since Atlanta United qualified for the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League last season, fans and media alike have opined on how the club would manage the squad and prioritize both competitions as they concurrently navigate the knockout tournament and its MLS campaign.
But if the Five Stripes don’t overturn a 3-1 first leg deficit to C.S. Herediano on Thursday night at “home” — specifically, at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the club’s alternate venue — all of that talk will be wasted energy.
“We haven’t started the league, so this is the only competition we’re currently in,” Brad Guzan stated matter-of-factly in Wednesday’s press conference. “We’ve got to find a way to get a result and make sure our name — our club — is in the hat for the next round. Then we can talk about juggling competitions.”
During the offseason, it’s easy to slip into dreamland and picture oneself traveling to exotic locales and experiencing the sport in a way that only CCL can provide. Perhaps Atlanta United fans are even more susceptible to these images of grandeur after the club’s leadership has been so vocal about its ambition in this regional competition.
But now, Atlanta United are walking the tightrope of elimination, needing to win emphatically to secure passage to the next round. Despite how desperate times might feel at the moment, Josef Martinez says he’s keeping calm.
“It was our first game under a new coach, our first official game of the season, so of course we’re going to have problems, but we’re not worried about that after one game,” Martinez told reporters after training Tuesday. “Last year, we lost the first game 4-0 to Houston. Obviously, if we keep making the same mistakes, then it becomes a problem. But after one game, it’s not something we’re concerned about. It’s just up to each player individually to try to get better and learn what the coach wants.”
Manager Frank de Boer told media in Wednesday’s press conference that he doesn’t want to use early-season adaptation as an excuse, and maintains that he’s liking what he’s seeing from the team in training this week.
“We have to do better. Everybody knows it,” de Boer said. “We have to show a different Atlanta United [Thursday] evening. I have the confidence in what I saw at training that everybody’s ready to turn it around.”
Around these parts, with tension so high, it’s jarring to consider that the MLS regular season begins for the Five Stripes just three days after Thursday’s match. For the players, it’s a million miles away.
“For me, [CCL] is very important because it’s the next game,” Julian Gressel told media this week. “We want to advance, and we want to continue playing on an international level. My 100 percent focus is on that. I haven’t even thought about D.C. to be honest with you. We’ll worry about that when Friday comes.”
